Rebuilding under Russia’s thumb

SUN-SEEKERS crowded onto the beach in Mariupol in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine.

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“Take a dip in the Sea of Azov!” said 52-year-old local Ivan, who like other beachgoers lapped up the good weather and mild waters of a coastline that is now entirely Russian-held.

“Mariupol was, is and will be Russian,” said the man, whose name has been changed.

The slogan is the same one repeatedly put forward by Moscow, which took the city in May 2022 after a long siege.

Exiled Ukrainian city officials say 22 000 civilians died in the Russian offensive and the UN estimates 90% of Mariupol’s housing was damaged or destroyed.

Some 300 000 of the predominantly Russian-speaking city’s pre-conflict population of 540 000 has fled, the exiled authorities estimate.

President Vladimir Putin quickly hailed what he called the liberation of Mariupol, while Kyiv and the majority of the international community denounced it as an occupation.

In September 2022, Russia announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions including Donetsk where Mariupol is located - though it does not fully control the areas.

Across Ukraine, the resistance put up by its forces in the city during the early weeks of Russia's military offensive has become a symbol of resilience.

The city defenders, particularly the soldiers and civilians who held out during the last days of the siege of the Azovstal steelworks, are hailed as heroes.

Russia in 2022 promised to rebuild the city within three years, hoping to showcase Mariupol as a symbol of its ability to bring prosperity to parts of Ukraine it controls.